Pongo's Trip to DISNEYLAND

[Pongo]

I took this trip in August, but I'm bored right now and have been meaning to post a trip report. So I'm going to. So here goes:

Prologue:

I have been wanting to go to Disneyland ever since I knew it existed as a separate entity from Walt Disney World. This was about when California Adventure opened. I remember asking my parents if we could make a trip to California (we lived in Florida) just to see the new park. Obviously they said no without hesitation.

I my sophomore year of high school I tried to organize a group of friends to go with me after we graduated high school, but no such luck there.

This past December, I decided that I WOULD go to Disneyland in the summer, even if it meant I had to go alone. Luckily, my best friend decided to join since he was going to a wedding in Reno a week before I wanted to go. So fortunate. I ended up joining him and his family on a trip to Yosemite National Park before he and I went to Disneyland. Yosemite blew my mind. It was incredible.

By some strange miracle, the company we booked our hotel through never actually charged us for our hotel. So we got to stay at the Carousel Inn and Suites (directly across the street from the Esplanade) for only an 11 dollar charge on something the day we left. For four nights. It was pretty awesome. To this day, they still haven't figured it out and either have we. It was a nice little highlight of the trip.

To come: Four days of excitement in the Disneyland resort! With photos!

 

[Pongo]

Chapter One: Can You Get Us To Target ASAP?

We arrived at the John Wayne airport a little before 9 PM on Wednesday, August 6th. We got to our hotel at about 9:30, and checked in. The people at the front desk were EXTREMELY friendly, and it made us feel a little guilty that we were staying there for free and they didn't know it. But I guess the website we used to book the rooms was paying them, but we just didn't end up paying the website. Or something like that.

Regardless, Remember... Dreams Come True was booming across the street, making it hard to converse with the person checking us in, but regardless, we bonded over the fact that he used to work at WDW, but moved out to California and likes it better out west. We had him call us a cab because we needed to get to Target, and while we waited for the cab to get to the hotel, my friend (Paul) and I dropped our luggage off in our room.

We went downstairs and a few minutes later our cab came. We shoveled into it and told the cabbie we had to get to Target in the next 15 minutes because it was going to close. Why did we need to go to Target?

1. Paul is a Target employee.
2. Paul gets an employee discount.
3. My digital camera mysteriously broke our second day in Yosemite.

I was not about to have my first trip to Disneyland without a camera to capture it all. So we planned to buy a new camera with the possibility of returning it when we got back to Florida if we didn't break it. Kind of sketch and maybe a little illegal, but we didn't have time to get my camera fixed, and I was desperate.

Thus ensued the craziest taxi ride of my life. Traffic was crazy since the parks were closing. And even though Target was only 2 miles away, there was still a possibility that we wouldn't make it in time. But our cabbie was a BEAST (a scary one at that), and he went double the 30 MPH speed limit down Harbor Drive (that is, when there weren't cars in the way). It got us to Target on time, albeit a little shaken up, and a camera was procured!

So we went back to the hotel, got some ice cream from Cold Stone for dinner lol: :lookaroun), and took the fewer than three minute walk across the street to the gates of Disneyland. I jumped around a little bit, so excited to FINALLY be at my personal Mecca, and we got our tickets from the window.

After getting back to the hotel, we crashed in our beds because we had early entry into Disneyland the next morning, and would probably only get 6 hours of sleep max as it was.

Surprisingly, I slept well.

 

[Pongo]

Chapter Two: Don't Forget The Touring Plan!

When we awoke the next morning, I was extremely satisfied to see this outside our hotel room door:

Whoop! Grizzly Peak and Paradise Pier! Score!

On the walk to the parks I had to get the obligatory Entrance Sign Picture:

Being on the Esplanade was really cool. I'm such a nerd that I used to envision in my head what it would look like and feel like and all that, and I have to say, actually being there totally blew away all expectations.

Since we were getting into DL an hour before it opened (7AM), no one in their right mind was at the other end of the Esplanade waiting to get into DCA. Therefore I was able to get a super clear shot of the entrance:

I actually really like this entrance, and the way the sun sculpture just kind of sets over the Golden Gate Bridge. And I really liked the postcard aspect of it too. I'm really sad to see it go, but glad I got a picture of it before they altered it.

Another obligatory picture:

As an aside, to get ready for this trip, I started reading The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2008 months in advance. I cannot say HOW MUCH it helped me. It saved up money on hotels (well, in theory) and helped me know when to go on what rides and I just learned a lot about how to plan a vacation to DL in general. I recommend it to ANYONE going to DL for the first time. One of the best books I've ever read.

That said, they have touring plans in all the Unofficial Guide books, and I picked one to use on our first day, and it had us going to the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage for my first DL experience. I as so excited.

Our sub:

The loading dock (you may find a theme in some of my pictures... I really liked how the Matterhorn looked):

The descent:

This was my first submarine-type ride and I really loved it! I enjoyed the Nemo story a lot and thought the video effects looked great. I was completely immersed in the story and had a great time. We ended up riding it twice -- once in the day and once at night. So fun!

After Nemo, we went to Space Mountain. The park was still closed to normal guests, so we pretty much got to walk right on:

...I'm on the left in the very front. Despite my awkwardly bored face, I was having a GREAT time. In my head I kept thinking about WDW's version and how they were different and thinking about which I liked better... which happened a lot on DL rides. That, and I wasn't expecting the picture to be taken when it was.

The consensus? I really loved DL's Space Mountain, but not necesarily more than WDW's. It had great effects and the music was an AWESOME addition, but I really enjoy the layout of WDW's better. It's a toss-up.

-----

More to come from day one!

 

[Pongo]

Moving on through the attractions, we rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:

We only rode this ride once because I wasn't overly impressed by it. I prefer the WDW version because it's longer and has better scenes and a better location. To me it felt like the DL version was just a lighter version of the WDW one, even though I know DL's was built first. One thing I did enjoy was the little village at the end. The remnant from the Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland.

Then we moved onto Indiana...

...Jones, that is. I LOOOOVVEEED this ride. probably my second favorite ride in the entire resort. I loved how the music was just so perfectly timed to what happened in the ride. It was like riding in a movie, and every time something dramatic happened there was a bum-BUUUUMMMMM in the music and it was AWESOME. Great ride. But I can't compare it to DINOSAUR. They're completely different rides in my mind.

And I really loved this one the way out:

Tarzan's Treehouse had some really cool views of Adventureland and Critter Country/New Orleans Square:

Except this one kind of freaked me out. Tarzan is staring at me in the mirror! Creepy!

We then rode Haunted Mansion and Pirates, both of which were awesome to ride, being the originals. I prefer the DL preshow of HM, but I like the WDW actual ride better. I enjoyed everything about Pirates better than WDW's version. It was so great.

We then took the train to the front of the park and ran into one of my favorites:

Two more obligatory pictures:

I just LOVED Sleeping Beauty Castle. I actually prefer it to Cinderella Castle. SBC is so quaint and just perfect for the park. I like the fact that it's tiny. It's very fairy-tale to me because it's so small. Fairy-tale in the modest way, not fairy-tale in the over-the-top extravagant way like WDW.

Swiss village or DL? I love how the themes just blend with each other. So great!

 

[Kristilovesdw]

Wow great pictures and TR! Can't wait for more!

 

[dandaman]

So we went back to the hotel, got some ice cream from Cold Stone for dinner lol: :lookaroun)

*jealous*

I loved how the music was just so perfectly timed to what happened in the ride. It was like riding in a movie, and every time something dramatic happened there was a bum-BUUUUMMMMM in the music and it was AWESOME.

An entire ride synched to John Williams? Those Detroit-Los Angeles flight prices now seem grossly under-discounted.

Keep 'er goin'!

 

[blackthidot]

On a scale of 1-10 id be a 3,026,538,618,473,772 in anger if my camera didnt work when I got to WDW.

 

[LuisT]

wonderful report. can't wait till you post more! The pictures are outstanding.

 

[Nicole220]

Wow, this is....really late. :lol:

Can't wait for the rest! You better have good things to say about me. :lookaroun

 

[Pongo]

Thanks everyone!!!

I'll get back to the reporting tomorrow for sure.

Wow, this is....really late. :lol:

Can't wait for the rest! You better have good things to say about me. :lookaroun

Yeah, yeah, I know.

I would say good things if there were good things to say

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Nice report - awaiting the rest

 

[TakeMeThere81]

It's great to see a DL trip report! We're military and odds are we'll be back on the west coast next year, so DL may be our next trip (if our WDW Dec trip doesn't work out)! Your trip report helps me kind of get back in the spirit of classic Disney...what I grew up with.

 

[Pongo]

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip:

A beautiful sunset lighting up the Matterhorn. And with that, I end day one.

Chapter Three: Like, Over Fifty Rides and Attractions

We had decided today that we would spend the morning in Fantasyland, since we rode most of the other major rides the day before. I was pretty excited about that because most of the Fantasyland rides were on my Top 10 Most Excited to Ride list. Rides like The Storybookland Canal Boats and Alice in Wonderland, the Teacups, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Mr. Toad... Basically all of them that we don't have in Florida or are different/original in California.

I was also excited because we were planning to meet up with my friend Nicole (Nicole220) at California Adventure later. Overall, it was set to be a great day, as if a day in DLR could be anything else.

We started the day on Mr. Toad. I liked the Toad Hall theming, and especially the statue of its namesake:

We're buds.

The coat of arms on Toad Hall contains my personal motto, what I live my life by (Semper Absurda):

That being said, the ride was DEFINITELY absurd. I had ridden it at WDW once or twice, but didn't remember much other than the train and Hell. And I've never seen the movie. Needless to say, I was extremely confused when the ride abruptly ended:

I really enjoyed all the ride vehicles sitting outside the attractions left over from the Happiest Celebration on Earth. My favorite was the Mr. Toad car:

We rode the Teacups next, and I really enjoyed them so much better than WDW's because of the scenery. Having an open roof and being at the base of the Matterhorn totally KILLS WDW's lame version. I swear, WDW needs a Matterhorn ASAP.

Yet another Matterhorn picture... this time with a new monorail! ...That we didn't get a chance to ride.

Next were the Storybookland Canal Boats which I was SUPER excited about. I had always been a little confused about the purpose of the ride and its premise and why it was even there, and after riding it, I still really have no answer, but it was such a relaxing and enjoyable experience. I absoluttely loved it.

Entering the mouth of Monstro the Whale:

This was funny. Going past the part about London Park and Peter Pan teaching the Darling children to fly, there was a duck mauling a crayfish or something. It was hilarious because the boat driver just kind of ignored while everyone in the boat laughed at it. What made it better was the fact that everything around it was so tiny, and it was like Duckzilla attacking Lobsterzilla in London Park. So funny.

 

[Pongo]

Some more Storybookland photos:

This next is my favorite. Once again, the Matterhorn has a prominent role in the photo. I love how the mountain just blends in with the rest of the scenery. Huge structures that rise above other attractions are seamlessly blended into other attractions. Love it. Disneyland is such a cool place!

More from day two later...

 

[unkadug]

Great report so far.

Patiently waiting....patiently waiting...patiently waiting...HURRY UP!

 

[Nicole220]

I would say good things if there were good things to say

Pfft. See if I ever meet up with you again.

I was also excited because we were planning to meet up with my friend Nicole (Nicole220) at California Adventure later.

That's me!
Can we get to the important part, please? :lookaroun
...God I sounded like such a b...er, witch just then.
Sorry 'bout that. :lookaroun

 

[Disnut]

Love it so far.
Please hurry with the rest.
I can't wait to hear about Nicole.

 

[yankspy]

Great report. I like looking at DL pics since it has been so long since I have been there.

 

[Pongo]

...God I sounded like such a b...er, witch just then.
Sorry 'bout that. :lookaroun

I mean, I'm used to it by now

Love it so far.
Please hurry with the rest.
I can't wait to hear about Nicole.

Always Nicole...

Maybe I'm only planning one sentence for her. Something like... "And then I met up with Nicole" and not even a picture.

Or maybe I won't put her in at all. Hmmmm :drevil:

More coming, I swear.

 

[Pongo]

I was pretty bummed that it's a small world was closed while we were there. I wanted to ride it SO BAD. We didn't even get a chance to see the facade because it was behind tarps. LAME. So as we went into Toontown, we had to pass it and I shed a tear... on the inside.

Anyway, to Toontown!

OMG, it is SO MUCH better than WDW's. I've never liked the Toontown Fair, and I thought that DL's was extremely immersive, however, it could have used a little greenery. Not nearly enough shade.

I really loved all the special interactive elements, and was really anxious to open the electrified door. SO COOL!

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin was pretty high on my Top 10 Excited to Ride list, but after riding it, I was EXTREMELY confused. It was not nearly the ride I thought it was going to be. I used to love the movie, but don't remember much about it, so I had no idea what was happening on the ride. And I couldn't figure out how to control the car. Eventually Paul recognized my frustration and the fact that he was getting sick, and took over controls of the spinning while I tried to order the sensory overload in my head. No such luck.

After wandering around Toontown, we kind of wandered around the rest of the park taking BS pictures and just sort of wasting time by exploring. One of my favorite parts of DL was New Orleans Square. I've never been to New Orleans, but I assume that it feels much the same.

We had lunch at the Blue Bayou (SO GOOD MONTE CRISTO MMMM), which had a great atmosphere and friendly staff. I pretty much liked all the food in New Orleans Square. I think I discovered my love for cajun food at DL. Gumbo...

Anyway.

After lunch, I forced Paul to take a picture that screams "LOOK AT ME I'M A DISNEY NERD!":

Then we went to DCA to meet up with Nicole. As I said earlier, I had been wanting to go to DCA ever since it opened, so I was SUPER EXCITED to finally step foot in the park. I know everyone and their mother loves to bash DCA as a failure of a park, but I really enjoyed it, and in some ways, better than DL. I'll go walk myself to the gallows, don't get up.

However, before going in, another obligatory picture:

L for Luke!

Once inside, I got to see the giant sun sculpture (which I also was really excited about), which was a lot bigger than I was expecting it to be!

And also Grizzly Peak, which I think looks more like a wolf than a bear, but the Imagineers didn't consult me when designing it, so...

Then we met up with Nicole:

Who was actually way cooler than I give her credit in this thread :lol: I was really excited to meet a WDWMagician who was my age and loved Disney just as much as I did and who I could have fun with in Disneyland. We did a TON of stuff at DCA before she had to leave including:

Which renewed my faith in Disney parades. It was SO MUCH FUN. I was literally dancing in the street to the music and Paul and Nicole were laughing at me. Whatever, I'm cooler than them.

More parade pictures coming up!